You are getting very sleepy…

Be hypnotized by a celebrity – I can now check that one off the bucket list! Proof that you just never know what fun is in store when you venture out to the Indiana State Fair.

I have to confess I was a bit of a doubter. I didn’t totally buy into hypnosis. But Catherine Hickland  succeeded at putting this stressed out over-thinker into a serene, careless and very sleepy state. And it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Catherine has an incredibly diverse resumé. She starred in the ABC soap opera “One Life to Live.” She’s an author. Now she has a comedy hypnosis show, where she touches lives and makes people smile. She will be at the fair one more day (Aug. 17) at 10 a.m. and noon.

It’s hard to explain how hypnosis felt. At the beginning, Catherine asked for volunteers from the audience, and I sheepishly walked to the stage. After 5 minutes, I was already preparing myself to leave the stage because I didn’t think it was going to work. But sometime after Catherine instructed us to relax every muscle in our heads and necks, my legs began to feel extremely heavy. I couldn’t feel my feet. My head started moving uncontrollably in circles slowly… slowly. It was as if I was sitting on a cloud, and I was happy about it.

I don’t think I was very deeply hypnotized because I was aware and I remember almost everything that happened. The difference between this and everyday life was that I was sleepy and super-calm, and it didn’t bother me that people were probably getting a good laugh at my expense. At one point I was literally sprawled across the lap of the person next to me! The best thing I can compare it to is those moments when you are coming out of anesthesia.

One of the great parts of Catherine’s show, aside from the hilarity of what people will do when they completely let go of inhibitions, is that it empowers you to conquer those self-imposed mental blockades. She shared a story of one man who participated in the show and from that day on, quit smoking completely.

So I challenge you to come out to the Free Stage on Aug. 17 at 10 a.m. or noon. Let yourself let go… and make sure a friend has a video camera!

(Video from Aug. 15 show at Indiana State Fair)